Saved by the Music
by Emilytheinsane
Summary: Before Marley and Ryder met each other they were two broken souls about to quit. Can they save each other? Inspired by a novel called Saved by the Music.
1. Prologue

**A/N: This is the first Glee story I've ever attempted. I'm sorry if it's not up to the standards of a glee fan fiction! I just really like Ryder and Marley together. It's pretty stupid, sorry. I'm not sure if I should continue with this as I just wrote it in the last fifteen minutes.**

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**PROLOGUE**

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If you went deeper than the surface, there was more to the pair of innocent smiley teenagers. Marley and Ryder were like two broken toys. People never attempted to dig deeper because they were content with what the two displayed – happy cute faces.

Before Ryder met Marley he never bothered with anyone. In fact, Ryder was almost about to quit, he couldn't handle it anymore. Ryder had no one. Nobody to take away the heavy agony he carried on a daily basis.

He'd given himself one more year, one more year to hold on. If things didn't look up then it clearly wasn't worth to live the rest of his life like this. But he'd had hope things would change, that someone bigger than him would step in and carry him.

Marley was sweet as pie. She had always put others first. If there were a kitten stuck in a tree Marley wouldn't second think it through, she'd be fifteen feet in a tree saving a kitten rather than worrying about hurting herself.

They were two lonely adolescents. The type of kids who would fake a smile and wish it away, they didn't want to burden any one with the baggage they had.

When Ryder first met Marley he saw right through her, he saw himself in her eyes. He decided that Marley was going to be his last resort, his last attempt to find meaning to living. Marley was so unaware but he'd hoped it wouldn't be something unrequited, he'd hoped she would see they were a lot alike.

First there needed to be a plan, a way to get deep and personal with Marley, if Ryder wanted this to work he'd need to expose his insecurities to Marley. It was something Ryder had never done before.

Nobody explained to either of them how to take away their pain, but Ryder wanted to take away Marley's. But, first Ryder had to speak to Marley. He needed to tell her that he knows she's hurting. Playing it through his head he saw there were a lot of bad outcomes.

Marley would be the girl to deny it, say nothing's wrong. But Ryder knew better. He'd heard gossip on the football team that a cheerleader had caught Marley puking in the bathroom. Most people would joke about it being bulimia and then wave it off as being sick.

It wasn't just Marley being sick this once, she was sick all of the time. When Marley would look in the mirror she saw her mother. Marley loved her mother, yes, but did she want the body image and the cruelty from others that came with it? She wouldn't be able to handle it.

Could Marley handle Ryder?

Ryder was going to attempt to avoid his own pain by fixing Marley's.

But, could Ryder save Marley? _More importantly, could Marley save Ryder?_


	2. CHAPTER I

**CHAPTER I**

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Ryder watched out of curiosity as Marley swept past him in the halls ever so cautiously. He compared her movements to that of a butterfly – dainty and delicate. She was fragile, if Ryder's fears were right she wouldn't be around that much longer.

He knew the signs. Marley would take off her mask when she didn't think anyone would pay attention, but Ryder was always watching her, it was becoming quite an obsession. Marley could be compared to a flickering candle in the darkness, but her flame was slowly burning out.

There isn't much a person can do in the type of predicament Ryder was putting himself in. Exposing the fact that he'd been observing Marley would just set her off. A plan was needed. Not necessarily thought through, Ryder had signed up for the football team.

He had thought that if he were popular than Marley would notice him. It never strikes a person odd when a popular fellow gives you attention, only quiet guys get whispered about. If Ryder had a reputation then surely Marley would have to converse with the boy at some point.

Being inside the football team would help Ryder see that any plans to mock Marley were shut down. Yes, in Ryder's mind the football team was an excellent way to save Marley. A slight problem is that Ryder was not the best at sports. But, it didn't take much intelligence to chase a ball around and tackle others.

Football could be a good distraction for the self-conscious half-Cuban. Ryder shook his head at the thoughts of football being his best plan, never in a million years had Ryder thought he'd be trying out for a sports team.

A boy like Ryder doesn't think much about the future at all, already under the line boy has made up his mind that he doesn't have a future.

At tryouts Ryder didn't like the way the sun shone so brightly, why was nature allowed to be so positive when Ryder couldn't find positivity? It was like the sun was taunting him, smiling at him, showing him the happiness he wasn't allowed to have.

Ever since the start of the school year and more important to Ryder, meeting Marley, Ryder's senses seemed in his mind heightened. The grass had a stronger earthy smell than it had in the past. The sun's rays seemed to beat down harder on him but almost in a good way.

It was a confusing feeling, it was easier to go through life almost in this void, Ryder was almost content with it, well, that is if Ryder could be content with anything he supposed he would have been content before.

As Ryder pondered the recently stronger odor of grass he was suddenly tackled into the earth he was just inspecting. The screech of a microphone pierced the ears of a disoriented Ryder "This is what happens when you hooligans don't pay attention! I'd cut all of you if I had decent enough players but it looks like I'm stuck with you."

Ryder thoroughly enjoyed the vote of confidence that the coach had displayed. He snickered "I'd like to see her running around out here in this heat." Ryder's comment had gotten him encouraging slaps on the back from a few others who had tried out.

After trying out everyone had been instantly put on the team. It was a strange feeling for Ryder being on a team, he'd always been on his own. Some upperclassmen mentioned something about Ryder was a part of the family now. It almost made him smile.

These were the boys who go around and taunt Marley, Ryder reminded himself. He wouldn't let himself change over some fictitious family. It might have sounded nice if it were another lifetime. This lifetime hadn't played out so well for Ryder; he remembered what a family was.

Family was shit; family, oh, it was nothing to him. Spending half his adolescence in an orphanage showed Ryder that family isn't always sunshine and roses. The staff was nothing like what a family is portrayed as, they were abusive and cruel.

There was never someone to tuck Ryder in at night, let alone give Ryder a bed. Most times the orphanage was overstocked. Too many children and not enough beds, the boys were put to the floors first.

For as long as he could Ryder stayed positive. He thought that if he prayed, someone a God, something would bring him to salvation. But salvation never came, and Ryder gave up hoping and turned to blaming.

The jacket he was given was nice, a weird trend at the school is to always wear your uniform, it's a little silly, but it shows people who you are and where you belong. Maybe Ryder didn't belong with the football team, he wanted to belong to Marley, but it was nice to get attention for once in his lifetime.

People didn't push the lad around; the girls practically drooled at the sight of him. Ignoring them gave Ryder loads of satisfaction.

High fives from students who last week didn't even know Ryder, it was like he was a king. It was growing apparent very fast that it could be easy to let their minds become corrupt from all the attention.

A football player in Ohio could do almost anything and still be praised. It was disgusting and interesting at the same time. A trickle of fear came into Ryder's mind – what if Marley didn't like football players? The boy would hope she would be repulsed by them but at the same time he didn't want his plan to go to waste.

After stressing out in his mind he dismissed his doubts, if football players weren't Marley's favorite people it didn't matter. He would do anything to show her that _he _was a good person.

A gasp of shock came from a few lockers away. Ryder snapped out of his fantasy to see Marley covered in slushy. A swelling rage took over Ryder "I want to know who the fuck did this. Look at her!" people backed away from the enraged boy.

Marley ran off crying. Ryder thought about taking revenge but he wanted to see if Marley was alright first hand. The revenge would come later.

A weeping girl pushing through people trying to get to a place where others wouldn't laugh, the laughing was the worst part of it all, this girl was obviously in pain. Ryder might have knocked a few and then some people over while chasing after Marley.

When she ran into the girl's washroom the football player stopped. It was the girl's bathroom. Cries came from inside the door; there was no more hesitation, not a moment later Ryder burst through the door.

Marley didn't even look up "Go away!" she cried out. Ryder bit his lips – he didn't know what to say. "Are you deaf? I don't want you Neanderthals near me." Maybe it was a bad idea that Ryder joined the team. "I'm not like them…" He drifted off and cautiously approached her.

Marley scoffed. "Yeah, that's what they all say." It was true, everyone says they're not like the rest but when it boils down to it, are they actually unique? What could Ryder actually do to save Marley? It was all a stupid fantasy in his mind.

"I guess you're right." He stormed out while his eyes welled up. The visible tears didn't stop him. "I want to know who slushied that girl." Silence from the others. "Do I have to throw a slushy on every single one of you before I get my answer?" that did it. A few students chirped up a name.

_Jake Puckerman._

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**A/N:** Thank you all for not shunning me since writing for Glee. :) I have loved the show since the beginning, but I don't want angry mobs after me if my writing isn't up to their standards. I apologize for the shortness of my stories, I like to update as fast as I can.


	3. CHAPTER II

**A/N: I've been working on this chapter for about a week now. I just get stuck even though I know my end game of this, my apologies. I will update the next chapter hopefully much faster than this one!**

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Jake Puckerman was one of the football players that had already sucked up to Ryder. A blind follower, it seemed right that he would heartlessly slushie Marley without a second thought; he didn't really seem the thinking type.

A few years ago Ryder would have done anything to be like Jake. All a little kid thinks about is being cool and fitting in. Being on the inside the kids learn that it's fucked up.

Mentioning fucked up, that was what Ryder was about to do to Jake. Ryder hadn't even given Puckerman the chance to plead innocent. With a slushie in hand Ryder had done to Jake what he had done to Marley. "Shit, it burns."

Seeing Jake covered in slushie was not as satisfying as Ryder had hoped. "If you even look at Marley I swear I'll kill you." Threatening Jake hadn't exactly taken the anger away either.

It would have to do; Ryder had turned away from Jake in the most victorious stride he could compose. "Remember that's a promise, not a threat." Ryder uttered without daring to take a glimpse at Jake as he marched forward hopefully towards Marley.

**X**

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Marley was in the cafeteria recounting the events to her mother the lunch lady. "My poor baby and nobody stood up for you?" Marley hesitated. "One boy…" her mother's eyes lit with eagerness to hear just who had stood up for her little girl.

"Who sweetie? Don't make me wait with all this anticipation building up!" Marley giggled at her mother's reaction. "His name is Ryder."

"Ryder Lynn?" Marley's mother Millie had always taken a favoring to Ryder. She had always secretly given him extra meatballs on spaghetti day. "Oh, I always knew Ryder was a good boy. So when is the wedding?"

Millie was a tad overdramatic towards, well everything. Having a sweet as pie mother like Millie would make you assume Marley was happy with her life. Sure she might not have had the name brand clothing but she had a mother who loved her which seemed rare in these times.

Every time Marley had looked at her mother she didn't initially see love, she saw gluttony. Marley was so paranoid that she would gain weight that she could hardly keep any food down.

The relentless teasing from her peers didn't help. Kitty was one of those girls who had planted the thought of bulimia into Marley's head. It wasn't that hard to purge for Marley she had already hated herself so much that it had come up easily.

Between the distractions from being attacked and Ryder defending her Marley had forgotten what she was on her way to do. By now the calories had been absorbed, and puking would be worthless to helping keep her body image.

Whenever someone like her mother told her she was fine it made it worse. In her mind she didn't look fine, just the opposite.

Marley snaps back into reality to hear that her mother is still rambling on about Ryder Lynn and how sweet he is. It was one of his teammates after all that had thrown a slushie on Marley in the first place. Joining glee had always been a dream to Marley, but it was a big joke to people outside of it.

Even on the inside Marley had felt like an outsider. There was talk of acceptance but, there was also Kitty lingering around some of the upperclassmen in the club.

Kitty, the girl who made Marley and possibly girls just like her miserable, ever since the big new directions win they were praised. Marley guesses none of the other members had heard the line 'remember where you come from'

Saved by the fifth period bell, Marley didn't have to wallow in her thoughts while her mother chirped about what students would be good with Marley and how cute Ryder Lynn was.

**x**

**X**

Ryder had heard gossip that the cheerios coach enlisted the help from two students to spy on the glee club. After prying a little in the locker room after practice Ryder learned that it was Jake and Kitty. Kitty and Jake had been exchanging flirtatious looks at each other since the semester has started but, they denied rumors of dating.

The fact that Sue Sylvester was trying to bring the glee club down wouldn't have bothered Ryder much but, Marley had just joined the glee club. It made it much more personal, especially that Jake was joining.

When he was younger Ryder loved to sing. Joining the glee club wouldn't have been that painful for Ryder. He had already joined the football team so it wasn't much pain to join another school club. It would also keep him away from his father as well.

After football practice when everyone else left, Ryder had practiced singing in the shower. When he was done he had been confronted by a graduate who seems to still linger around the school, Finn. Finn had been in the glee club. It was better than trying to join, he was being told to join.

It was a more legitimate excuse to join because he was told to rather than just joining because Jake was joining and he wanted to keep an eye on Marley. Ryder played it cool and told Finn he didn't want to join. He didn't want to sound too eager.

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Marley was preforming a song, blame it on the rain. The whole time her sparkly eyes were directed towards Jake. After being attacked by the jerk in the halls she had gone and sung a song obviously directed towards him, probably about the cheerleader Kitty who had been sitting very snug with Jake.

Ryder's stomach dropped. How could a girl like Marley like a boy like Jake? That was what Ryder wondered. It had made it a bigger mission to save Marley.

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It wasn't the first sad love song that Marley had directed towards Jake either. At home there were so many more unrequited love songs.

The way that Kitty had Jake wrapped around her fingers. Marley had desired the power that Kitty had possessed over Jake. At some point later in the day Jake found Marley and pulled her aside to apologize. He went off talking about how Kitty had made him to it.

His voice gave Marley no upper hand; she was a fool for him and his five cent charm. It took approximately ten seconds for the poor girl to forgive Jake.

**X**

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When Ryder had gotten home he went straight to his computer. Ryder was not familiar with the song that Marley was singing to Jake, but he wanted to learn about it and the artist. After listening to many of the bands songs he had chosen another song they had to sing to Marley.

There was a song that had stuck out to Ryder. 'Too beautiful' it was perfect to sing to Marley. Ryder spent hours practicing to perform the song to her the next time they had a glee club meet-up. It would have to be perfect for Marley.

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**Another A/N: are the x's annoying? I wanted to differentiate from when I was following Ryder and when I was following Marley.**


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